Speed-indicator.



PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

H. DAHL.

SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION TILED r1112. 14. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5-20- :o-zalu-av No. 832,600. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

H. DAHL.

SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLIOA'I'IOH FILED r113. 14. 1902.

2 snnn'rs-snnm a.

' Gf/MEM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed February 14, 1902. Serial No. 94.022-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS DAHL, a subject of the King of Sweden andNorway, residing at Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire,have invented new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, of whichthe following is a specification.

Speed-indicators as hitherto constructed do not offer a means ofpermanently controlling the motion, as in general they only indicatemaximum and minimum. If, however, they indicate a number of speeds, theindividual indications are given more or less momentarily. In any casethey are detached indications. Such more or less momentary detachedindications are insufficient and offer no real control. The case willalways arise that the speeds which come between two detached indicationsare unindicated and remain for hours unindicated. The interpolation offurther detached speed indications affords no assistance, since eventhen the intermediate speeds remain unindicated. For example, if thedetached indication is efiected by colored-light signals there will apear at one time a red, at another time a ye low ora green or a bluelight. This temporary display of differently-colored lights obviouslyoffers no certain control of the motion.

In order to afford a permanent control, according to the presentinvention speeds lying between definite limits are indicated by a commonsignal, which is displayed so long as the speed remains between thesetwo limits. Thus in the case, for instance, of electric signaling theclosing of the circuit does not signify a. detached speed limit, but acontinuing contact i. e., a group of speeds.

I will now illustrate my meaning by means of a concrete example.

Tram-cars may travel in particular streets only at a' speed below acertain limitthus in one street under sixteen kilometers, in anotherunder twenty kilometers, in a third under twenty-five kilometers, perhour. Control by means of detached signals at sixteen, twenty, andtwenty-five kilometers per hour, whether by three bells or three lightsof different colors, is practically useless, since between sixteen andtwenty kilometers, as also between twenty and twenty-five kilometers,&c., the tram travels without any indication being given. Reallyeffective control can only be attained by the employment of means whichgive a permanent indication of the rate of travel of the car, andpreferably the continuing indications should be in conjunction, so as toact continuously one after the other. In this case both driver andpersons in the street can determine at any moment whether the car isgoing at a permissible speed.

The invention is illustrated by the appended drawings, in which- Figure1 shows a section of an instrument according to this invention. Fig. 2is a cross-section taken through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view, drawn toa smaller scale, of a rotary disk fitted with three of the instrumentsshown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3,illustrating also means whereby electricity may be conducted from thedisk-shaft. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a signalboard for employment inconjunction with the indicator contact device. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview showing a modified construction of the apparatus illustrated byFig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showin struction of the apparatus ilustrated by Fig. 1, in which stationary spring-contacts are em loyed.

5 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A is a closed casing containing .a centrifugalbody I), sliding on a round metal rod (1 and retained by a spring 0,while another spring d acts as stop or brake to arrest its motion. e isa transversely-located contact-roller running on a a modifiedconelectric conductors to the rod 0. and strips 1,

res ectively.

igs. 3 and 4 showthree of the devices'A arran ed on a rotary disk m,mounted on a shaft Fig. 4 shows a method by which the current may beconducted from the rotating shaft 70 to the signal-board B, Fig; 5, aset .of

brushes or contact-springs n being employed v for the urpose. a

The t ee devices shown in Fig. 3 are constructed for three differentspeed groups viz. sixteen to twenty, twent to twentyfive, twenty-five tothirt hese groups are signaled, according to ig. 5, by meansof 35 onespeed'grou on the differently-colored electric lights-red, blue, andyellowconsisting of incandescent lamps located behind colored panes. Aslong as the tram-car runs at one s eed lying 5 between sixteen andtwenty t e signalboard B, Fig. 5, shows a permanently-red light, which,however, changes to blue im mediately the speed exceeds twenty kilo-'meters per hour and into yellow when the speed exceeds twenty-fivekilometers per hour. The tram driver, therefore, is always instructed asto the speed at which he is traveling without any particular attentionbeing necessary, since change of color can be re- I marked in aninstant. The attention of the driver, therefore, is not unduly occupied,and

hecan continue to devote himself solely to proper driving of the tram,whereby also the service is rendered easier, while the safety of thepublic is increased.

, Referring to the arrangement shown in r Figs. 1 and 3, thecontact-surfaces'h 1', on the track f g of each of the three boxes A areso roller'e of the second box (twenty to twentyfive) makes a contactimmediately the roller e of the first box (sixteen to twenty) has leftits contact-track h 'L. For this reason the three control-sprin s sinthe three boxes are of different strengt s.

Instead of completing the circuit in each of the three boxes A directlyit is preferable to complete the circuit in two of the boxessimultaneously on the speed changing from to another. If, therefore, ig.5, red and blue lights are on the board,

seen simultaneously, the conclusion to be,

drawn is that the speed at the moment is exactl twenty kilometers perhour.

T e present invention is not only of value for tramway service, but isof the utmost importance for many purposes, since by its means speedscan be permanently controlled such as 'therto has not been possible. Itis also of value for motor-cars, locomotives, and even for steamships.In short, it may be aplied to rotating machinery in general and, indeed,under certain circumstances also for other than rotary motions.

The constructlon' of instrument shown. in Fig. 6 is very similar to thatillustrated in Fig. 1. The contact-pieces h 'i, howevep are formed eachwith a projecting tonguef'and these tongues lap over one another. The

means for securm the contact-plates are here aptplied lateral y insteadof, as in Fig. 1,

ace of bars Z Z.

It will be obvious that instead of having the contact-surface se aratefrom the cen-'" trifugal body I) the-,su ace h '0', mi ht be arranged onthe latter, as. shown in ig. 7, one or more stationary contact devices,such as a spring e, being then provided, with which t e centrifugal bodycontacts in its movements.

located relatively to one another that the The precise manner ofconstructing and arranging the various plarts may naturally be greatlyvaried from t at illustrated without any departure from the essentialfeatures of the invention.

It will thus be seen that the horizontally rotating body has mountedthereon contact means in the form of a plurality of broad contacts orcontacts of duration, such as plates 71. '5, arranged on different radiiof the 7 5 ody. Cooperating with'this contact means is a lurality ofcentrifugally-operated contactodies, each body remaining in electricalconnection with the contact means until a succeeding contact has enteredinto connection with the contact means, thus causin each signalingdevice of the signaling-boar to lsignal until another one of the devicessigna s.

Having thus-described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- V 1. In aspeed-indicator, the combinationof contact means, and a plurality of centrifugally-operated contactseach arranged so that 9 it remains in connection with the contact meansuntil another centrifugally-operated contact has entered into connectionwith said contact means.

2. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a plurality of contacts, anda plurality of centrifugally-operated contacts each arranged so that itremains in connection with one of the first-named contacts until anothercentrifugally-operated contact-has entered into connection with anotherof the first-named contacts.

3. In a speed-indicator, the combination of a plurality of contacts, anda plurality of centrifugally-operated contacts each arranged so that itis connected with one of the firstnamed contacts when the precedingcentrifugally-operated contact has broken its connection with itscontact.

4. In a -speed-indicator, the combination of a plurality of broadcontacts or contacts of duration, and a plurality ofcentrifugally-operated contacts eacharranged so that 1t remains inconnection with one of the firstnamed contacts until the succeedincentrifu- 1 1 5 gally-operated contact has entere into connectionwithits contact.

5. In a speed-indicator, the combination with a rotary body, of aplurality of contacts 7 arranged on different radii of the rotary body,1 20 a plurality of centrifugally-operated contacts each arranged sothat it remains in connection with one of the first-named contactsuntil. a succeeding centrifugall-yoperated conitact has made connectionwith 1tscon r25 tac 6. In a speed-indicator, the combination with arotary body, of contact means on the body, a plurality ofcentrifugally-operated contacts-movable outwardly from the axis of I 30-difierent radii on said body, a plurality of spring-controlled bodiesrotatin with and moving outwardly by centrifuga force from the axis ofthe rotating body, each body remaining in connection with one of theradial contacts until another body enters into connection with anotherradial contact. 8. In a speed-indicator, the combination.

with a horizontally-rotating body, of a plurality of contacts ofduration disposed on lurality of contact-bodies movable outwar 1y bycentrifugal force from the axis of the rotating body, a plurality ofsprings of different strength, acting on the centrifugally-operatedcontact-bodies and each causing one of the centrifugally-operated bodiesto remain in connection with one of the radial contacts until anothercentrifugally-operated body enters into connection with another radialcontact.

9. In a s eed-indicator, the combination with a plura ity of signaldevices, of a plural-' ity of centrifugally-operated bodies each onecontrolling one of the signal devices and causing it to signal untilanother signal device is caused to signal by anothercentrifugally-operated body.

10. s eed-indicator comprising a plurality of e ectrically-operatedsignal devices, a rotary b'ody, contact means thereon, and a pluralityof centrifugally-opbrated contactbodies also mounted on the rotary bodyand each cooperating with one of the signal devices to cause it tosignal until another one of the devices signals.

11. In a speed-indicator, the combination with a rotary body, aplurality of contacts rotating with the rotary body, a plurality ofcentrifugally-operated contacts, ranged so .that it remains inelectrical connection with one of the first-named contacts until asucceedin centrifugally-operated contact has made e ectrical connectionwith its contact.

12. In a speed-indicator, the combination with a rotary body, of contactmeans on the body, a plurality of centrifu ally-operated contact-bodies,arranged on t c axis of the rotary body and each remaining in electricalconnection with one of the contact means until another enters intoelectrical connection with another of said means.

13. In a speed-indicator, the combination with a rotary body, of contactmeans on the body, a plurality of centrifu ally-operated contact-bodies,arranged on t c axis of the rotary body, a plurality of springs ofdifferent strength, acting on the centrifugallyoper ated contact-bodiesto remain in electrical connection with one of the said contacts on therotary body until another centrifugallyoperated body enters intoelectrical connection with another of the said contacts.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' HANS. DAHL.

Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

each ar-

